Alice Blumenfeld

Founder, Artistic & Executive Director

Alice Blumenfeld grew up in Albuquerque, NM, where she threw herself into flamenco with relentless dedication from a young age. By 14, she was already performing professionally as a soloist with Alma Flamenca and later with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Co. Her early immersion in live music and improvisation forged her command of the art form. At 18, she was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and received a National YoungArts Silver Award, national recognition of both her artistry and discipline.

Moving to New York City, Blumenfeld balanced rigorous academic and artistic pursuits—earning a BA in Comparative Literature from NYU with highest honors while performing with Romeria Flamenca and quickly rising to soloist with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana’s NY company. In 2012, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to study flamenco in Sevilla, where she deepened her artistry at its source.

Returning to the U.S., she toured nationally with Flamenco Vivo, then expanded her vision as a choreographer, pushing flamenco into new contexts and launching community-centered initiatives. She went on to earn an MFA in Dance from Hollins University, creating acclaimed site-specific work and widening her choreographic voice.

Her leadership in the field includes her time as Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Oberlin College (2018–2020), where she produced Breaking Boundaries in Flamenco, an international symposium uniting scholars and artists at the forefront of the form.

In 2016, Blumenfeld founded Abrepaso Flamenco, an organization dedicated to creating new work rooted in flamenco while boldly embracing its evolution. Under her direction, Abrepaso premiered three evening-length works at the National Hispanic Cultural Center before relocating to Northeast Ohio, where she has since built a thriving hub of performances, classes, and outreach.

A two-time Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award winner, Blumenfeld is recognized for her visionary leadership, relentless work ethic, and boundary-pushing choreography. Critics praise her dancing as “sharp and exhilarating” energy (Philadelphia Inquirer) and note her “fierce presence… as if her movements arise from several feet beneath the ground” (Thinking Dance).

En Camino - Community Performance Group

  • La Romera

    Dancer, Instructor, & Dance Coach

  • Christina Patterson

    Dancer & Instructor

  • Tianyi Guo

    Dancer

  • Marie Carr

    Dancer

  • Bruce Catalano

    Guitarist

  • Jim Carr

    Guitarist, Singer, & Composer

  • Francisca García-Cobián Richter

    Singer

Affiliated Artists

  • Marija Temo

    Guitarist, Singer, Flamenco Coach

  • Felise Bagley

    Dancer & Choreographer

  • Patrick Duke Graney

    Percussion

  • Dominick Farinacci

    Composer & Trumpet in A. Periplum

  • Sol "La Argentinita"

    Singer

  • José Moreno

    Guitar, cante, cajón

  • Alex Conde

    Flamenco Piano

  • Joshua M Lawhorn

    Cinematographer

Board Members

  • Silvia Perez - Protto MD, MSc, MBA, FCCM

  • Marcia La Romera

  • Robert Cabrera, JD

  • Alice Blumenfeld MFA

  • Luz Guillén

  • Kate Borders